Legacy's Innocence Lost
by Ghostwritermb08
Summary: Katie travels to California to visit her cousin who takes her to a beach party where she meets Dima. A sad widower who is still grieving for his wife. He's captivated by Katie's beauty and innocence. And for the first time in years Dima feels alive. But when he's called away on business his older brother Dmitry moves in on Katie who is drawn to Dmitry as well.


Two Years Ago  
"Dmitry Daratrazanoff, and his wife Francesca walked from their apartment building in Paris, France into the mid-morning sun. Dmitry, tall with broad shoulders, and black hair that fell to just below his shoulders; walked beside his wife. He had his mother's vivid blue eyes and dark skin taken from his mother's Crow Ancestors. Preoccupied with his own thoughts he paid little attention to his wife of six months. Automatically he slowed his pace as she was heavy with child. The baby was due in three weeks, and they planned to fly back to the states in a few days. They hadn't told his parents about their marriage as they had married quickly when she got pregnant. "He had planned to surprise his parent's with the news, but he had received word from his parent's that his twin brother's wife had been killed in a car accident. Dmitry was worried about his brother, and knew he must be suffering terribly. His plan was to fly back to the States first thing in the morning. He hated to drop such shocking news on his parents at a time like this. Still, it couldn't be avoided any longer, the baby would arrive soon, and perhaps that would help ease his parent's grief. His Father had sounded weary on the phone. Beside him Francesca was frowning. His wife was tall with long black hair, and dark eyes. The only extra weight she carried was her pregnant belly. She had small breasts, and tended to be too was ignoring her again; he barely paid her any attention. She knew he was upset about his brother, but his interest in her had been slipping for a while. He worked long hours on top of going to school, and she barely saw him. They hadn't made love in a couple weeks, and she had begun to fear he was seeing another woman. Francesca hated what the pregnancy had done to her body; she would be glad when the baby was born. Still she knew they wouldn't be able to make love for a while after the birth, and she could feel Dmitry slipping through her fingers. Francesca loved him so much, but he had never told her he loved her. She had convinced herself that it was because Dmitry wasn't good at expressing his feelings. More and more she feared his only reason for marrying her was the baby. Turning she stepped in front of him to stop him, she intended to give him a kiss. As she stepped in front of him she heard a loud boom, but thought nothing of it. The impact of the bullet slammed her forward into Dmitry. Catching his wife as the loud boom finally registered in his distracted mind. Someone was shooting at them! Picking his wife up, he scanned the buildings around him for the shooter, but he didn't see anyone as he raced back into their apartment building. Francesca moaned in his arms as he set her down in the lobby. "Someone call an ambulance, my wife's been shot." He shouted in French to the doormen.  
"I love you." She whispered weakly. She knew she was dying, but she was fighting to hang on for the baby.  
"You'll be alright, help is on the way." He replied. Dmitry was in a state of shock. His hand gently stroked her hair as he waited for the emergency crew to arrive. It seemed to take hours for them to arrive, but they arrived within minutes."Dmitry backed up to allow them to take care of his wife. She was moaning in pain. He stood there his clothes covered in blood. He watched as the Emergency crew quickly loaded his wife into the Ambulance, before climbing in behind them. The ride to the hospital seemed to last forever, Francesca was moaning, her breathing shallow, her body shaking. They finally arrived at the hospital and raced his wife inside. He knew from the looks on the faces of the hospital personnel that his wife wouldn't make it, but he held out hope for the baby. While he waited in the waiting area he was questioned by the police about the shooting, but there was nothing he could tell them, he didn't have a clue. All he knew for sure was that the shooter had intended to kill him."An hour later the Doctor came out his face grave. "I'm sorry Sir, but we were unable to save your wife."

""What about the baby?" He dared to ask.

""We performed an emergency c-section; you have a son. But the baby is in critical condition, the bullet tore through your wife's womb." The Doctor answered

"His son, whom he named Sergei Vladirmir after his father and grandfather, died twenty-four hours later in his arms. Francesca's family arrived to find their daughter, and grandson dead. Dmitry left the hospital unable to face their grief he was overcome with guilt. He should have been paying better attention to their surroundings. He should have hired bodyguards. "Dmitry quickly made arrangements for his wife's funeral, before flying back to the states, just in time to attend Lori's funeral. His parents were angry over the fact that he hadn't returned sooner. Both were grief stricken and didn't notice how terrible Dmitry looked. He stayed for the funeral and left to return to Paris the next day, further angering his parents."Francesca was laid to rest in the small Providence where she had grown up, and where they had married. His son was laid to rest cradled in his mother's arms for all time. Although Dmitry spared no expense on the funeral service, her family was put off by his cold manner; he may as well have been a statue. He didn't shed a single tear at the funeral, just sitting coldly through the service, his face set in stone. The fact that not one member of his family bothered to attend the funeral further grated on Francesca's family. He had never returned, although he made sure that Francesca always had fresh flowers on her grave."After the funeral he hired men to investigate the shooting. It took them a month to discover the identity of the killer. Dmitry in the meantime hired his own security detail. Once he had the identities of the killers he, and Leonid Sidorov, the head of his new security detail, killed the men responsible. It was Dmitry that pulled the trigger on his wife's shooter. It was the first time he had ever killed a man, but he felt no remorse. When it was done he returned to the states, he dropped out of school, and went to work for his Dad at Daratrazanoff Industries

Standing inside the crowed airport, waiting to board the plane that would take Katie short for Kathryn, and her Grandmother to California to see her cousin Jaci, Katie could hardly stand still she was so excited to be going to California with her Grandmother, but she was also relieved, because it would be taking her away from her mother for couple of weeks Katie had been falling deeper and deeper into depression, suicide had become the only answer too her many problems, and then out of the blue, her Grandmother had asked her to accompany her on her trip to California. Katie could hardly believe her luck her Grandmother had even convinced her mother to let her go which had been no small task. Since Lenore (Katie's mother) was dead set against Katie going at first, but Bernice (Katie's Grandmother) had insisted that Katie go along saying she didn't like traveling alone. And so Lenore had ever so reluctantly decided to let a much relieved and excited Katie go. As she watched Katie and her mother disappear down the hallway to board the plane, she began to have second thoughts, but it was too late they had already disappeared from sight. She had the distinct feeling that something awful was going to happen on the trip her daughter was taking.


End file.
